Dowel handle bag

ABSTRACT

A CONSTRUCTION FOR A PLASTIC BAG WITH A DOWEL HANDLE MADE FROM TUBULAR STOCK WITH WELDED SEAMS IN THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE BAG FOR HOLDING HEAVY BULK MATERIALS OR ITEMS. THE MATERIAL AT THE TOP OF THE BAG IS FOLDED OVER AND FASTENED TO ONE FACE OF THE BAG IS FOLDED OVER FOR A DOWEL, THE FORCE IMPARTED TO THE BAG BY THE DOWEL IS TRANSMITTED SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE WIDTH OF THE BAG AND OTHER THAN ON A WELDED SEAM. A CUT-OUT IS PROVIDED IN THE BAG AND THROUGH THE FOLD, APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE SIDES THEROF, SOT THAT THE HAND OF THE HOLDER MAY BE ACCOMMODATED AROUND THE DOWEL. ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS USING SIDE GUSSETED OR SIDE WELDED TUBULAR STOCK OR SHEET STOCK FOR THE BAG ARE DESCRIBED. MEANS MAY BE PROVIDED TO PREVENT THE DOWEL FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE CHANNEL. FURTHERMORE, IN SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS IT IS USEFUL TO PROVIDE SNAPS RATHER THAN WELDING FOR THE FOLDED TOP OF THE BAG.

Sept. 20, 1971 KUGLER 3,606,131

DOWEL HANDLE BAG Filed July 8. 1969 FIG./

PRIOR ART i lNVIdNI'HI-f. EMANUEL KUGLER United States Patent 3,606,137DOWEL HANDLE BAG Emanuel Kugler, Lawrence, N.Y. (Kennedy House, 110-11Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, N.Y. 11375) Filed July 8, 1969, Ser. No.839,865 Int. Cl. B65d 33/06 U.S. Cl. 229-754 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A construction for a plastic bag with a dowel handle madefrom tubular stock with welded seams on the top and bottom of the bagfor holding heavy bulk materials or items. The material at the top ofthe bag is folded over and fastened to one face of the bag to provide achannel for a dowel; the force imparted to the bag by the dowel istransmitted substantially along the width of the bag and other than on awelded seam. A cut'out is provided in the bag and through the fold,approximately midway between the sides thereof, so that the hand of theholder may be accommodated around the dowel. Alternative constructionsusing side gusseted or side welded tubular stock or sheet stock for thebag are described. Means may be provided to prevent the dowel from beingremoved from the channel. Furthermore, in some of the embodiments it isuseful to provide snaps rather than welding for the folded top of thebag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to plastic bags,and more particularly to improvements in construction of a plastic bagfor accommodating a dowel handle.

PRIOR ART The bagging of heavy bulk material such as twentyfive or fiftypounds of ice or fireplace briquettes in a construction providing ahandle for supporting that bulk is desirable, particularly to provide aconvenient means to support the weight and also to avoid significantcontact by the holder with the package if he carries it in his arms.Presently used constructions for providing handles in plastic bags maybe divided into two main categories: Firstly, bags are available whichprovide handle cut-outs to accommodate the holders hand; and secondly,plastic bags are provided with dowels in tubular construction whereinthe dowel bears against the welded seam which is immediately above thedowel. In both such constructions there is a tendency for the bag totear, particularly in the second construction mentioned above where thetear usually occurs along the welded seam. Particularly in the firstconstruction above, the bag tends to buckle without a dowel, therebyleaving a great deal to be desired in supporting the contents of thepackage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved bag construction having meansprovided for accommodating a dowel handle and a space for the holdershand in such a way that proper support is given to the weight of thecontents.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bagconstruction with a dowel handle and a space to accommodate the holdershand which is not subject to tearing due to the weight and bulk of thecontents.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide suchconstructions which allow the holder to avoid significant contact withthe package.

These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished in apreferred, yet illustrative embodiment, which features a tubular baghaving seams at the top and 3,606,137 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages ofthe present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to thefollowing detailed description of presently preferred, but nonethelessillustrative embodiments and their constructions, in accordance with thepresent invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a bag construction according tothe prior art;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention which features a dowel handle and a cut-out foraccommodating the holders hand;

FIG. 2A is a sectional representation taken along the line AA of FIG. 2in the direction of the arrows shown;

FIG. 2A is a sectional representation of an alternative construction forthe bag of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2B is a pictorial representation of a further alternativeconstruction for the bag of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial representation is partial view of an alternativeembodiment of the present invention featuring a bottom gusseted bagusing side welds;

FIG. 4 is a front view representation of a further alternativeembodiment of the present invention featuring snap fasteners for the topfold of the bag and sheet stock for the body thereof; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the bag of FIG. 4 with the flapin closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS Referringspecifically to FIG. 1, the prior art is illustrated by a bag designatedgenerally by the reference 10. The bag is shown to comprise front panel12, rear panel 14 in a tubular construction connected by side edges 16and 18. The bottom of said front and rear walls are connected by heatseals 20 or the like to define cavity between said front and rear walls.A further heat seal 22 is provided at the upper edges and openings 24and 26 in the sides 18 and 16, respectively, are used for insertion of adowel 28, which with cut-out 30 defines a handle for the bag. It may beseen from FIG. 1 that in this type of construction the major forces ofthe dowel on the bag, when the bag is being held by the handle, areexerted on the heat seal 22. Therefore, it is apparent that when the bagas illustrated in FIG. 1 is used for carrying weighty or bulky objects,a serious problem will arise in the ability of the heat seal 22 towithstand the forces exerted thereon.

Such problems are overcome by use of the bag illustrated as a preferredembodiment of the present invention in FIGS. 2 through 2B. Aconstruction is there illustrated as including a bag generallydesignated by the reference numeral 32 comprising a front wall 34, arear wall 36 of tubular construction with side edges 38 and 40. Thebottom opening of the bag between the front and rear walls is sealed byheat seal 42 or the like. The top edge 44 of the bag is folded at fold46 and heat seal 48 or the like used to affix the folded top to the bodyof the bag. A dowel 52 is inserted in the channel defined by the foldedtop and the back panel 36 of the body. A cut-out 50 is provided on thebody of the bag approximately midway between the sides 38 and 40 andsymmetrical about the fold 46. This cut-out pro-. vides with the dowel52 a handle for the bag. In the preferred embodiment it is recommendedthat the dowel be of a length less than the total Width of the front 34of the bag and of approximately A" diameter. The sides of the channeldefined by the folded top and the back 36 of the bag "may be heatsealed, as shown in FIG. 2B at 54 in order to prevent accidentalWithdrawal of the dowel 52 from the channel. Alternatively, a pin orstaple or other attachment means may be inserted through the filmforming the bag to secure the dowel 52 against sideward movement.Adhesive means or selective heat sealing may also be employed to attachthe dowel to the bag for this purpose. Also, it should be mentioned thatan alternative construction would provide gusset sides 40 for the bag asshown in FIG. 2A to define with front and back panels 34, 36' a sidegusseted construction rather than the tubular construction shown in FIG.2.

A further alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3 as including abottom gusseted bag structure comprising bottom gusset 56 and a tubulartop edge 58 for connecting the front and rear panels 60, 62 of the bag.An opening is provided at 64 near the top edge 58 of the bag toaccommodate a dowel 66 as part of the handle for the bag. Also a cut-out68 is provided approximately midway between the sides of the bag in thefront and rear panels 60, 62 to accommodate the hand of the holder ofthe bag. The illustration in FIG. 3 shows approximately half the bag forclarity of illustration with the other half being understood as similarbut reversed.

Further alternative embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and ascomprising a sheet stock bag having a back panel 70 longer than thefront panel 72. Such construction allows the folding of the back panelat 74 for attachment by snaps 78 on the topmost edge 76 with receivingmembers 80. The fold at 74 defines with the front and rear panels achannel for insertion of the dowel 82. The front and rear panels aresealed to each other at edges 84, 86 by heat sealing to complete the bagconstruction.

It should be understood in using any of the constructions or variationsthereof heretofore discussed, insertion of the contents is made usuallythrough an edge prior to heat sealing or other means of afiixing thefront panel to the rear one. Therefore, it may be seen that insertion ofsuch contents may be made either through the bottom of the bag, the topof the bag or the sides depending upon which of these are to be heatsealed or fastened by other means.

Further modifications in this bag construction are made by using morethan one line of heat seals and further by the use of various materialsfor the dowel including wood, plastic, paper, metal, or any other rigidor semirigid material. Also, the heat seal 48 may include all layers ofthe plastic film from which the bag is formed thereby providing awatertight and airtight chamber for the protection of the packagedproduct.

What is claimed is: v

1. A composite plastic bag fabricated of heat sealable, tubularmaterial, having in combination front and rear panels which are unitaryat the fold lines defining the side edges of said bag, said front andrear panels being connected at a heat seal along their respective bottomedges defining the bottom of said bag, the material of said front andrear panels continuing upwardly beyond the upper edge of said bag andbeing folded along an upper edge fold line downwardly against the frontpanel of said bag and defining thereunder a channel, said material beingsecured to said front panel along a heat seal line below and parallel tothe upper edge of said bag, said front and rear panels defining acut-out approximately midway between said side edges along the upperedge of said bag and above said heat seal line, a dowel positionedwithin the channel defined by said upper edge fold line to provide areinforced material carrying handle for the contents of said bag, andmeans for holding the dowel within said channel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,866,241 7/1932 Vineberg 229S4UX2,457,422 12/1948 Warner 1.7 2,789,571 4/1957 Kurman 150--12X 3,029,8534/1962 Piazze l501l 3,090,968 5/1963 Buono 1S0l2UX 3,301,452 1/1967Jester 150-l2X 3,352,411 11/1967 Schwarzkopf 22954X 3,405,863 10/1968Kugler 150 -1 1X 3,414,032 12/1968 Jortikka 229-54X 3,429,497 2/1969Dorfman 150-12X 3,506,048 4/ 1970 Jortikka 22954X FOREIGN PATENTS915,955 11/1946 France 150-1.? 418,807 2/ 1967 Switzerland 22954 JOSEPHR. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner S. E. LIPMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl.X.R.

